STRIKER TARGET PATTERN EMERGES

WE'RE LINKED TO ANOTHER BIG BOY

I’m starting to get a little bit excited about a very big weekend of football.

The FA Cup is the first chance to find out the true extent of our injury list. One would imagine, to reduce pressure on the players, that many will not be present for the Southampton game. I can’t imagine we’ll see Declan or Saka. Not sure we need to see either of our left backs after their knocks. Not sure we’ll be risking Kai after his games this week.

The move will probably be to roll with a pretty decent starting 11 that is more impactors than full-on starting 11. The Sporting game is of the utmost importance. Escape Lisbon with a draw or better and we’re in very good shape for the home game.

Two players I’d like to see get minutes are Max Dowman, who is surely worthy of a start considering the issues with our right wing… and Marli Salmon, who could get a go at right back after Ben White spent 14 days with England and Jurrien Timber is struggling with a groin issue.

The big, big news of that game will be the suspected return of Martin Odegaard. He’s playing to be at the World Cup. Norway destroyed their World Cup group. They could go to a quarter final for sure. He will be a leading light and the main man feeding the beast of Haaland. The captain has a job to do on the fan base. We’ve forgotten him. He seems a distant memory. Even when we have seen him it’s been very limp.

I need more. We all need more. Time to deliver.

The ideal for the game is it’s done and dusted by 60 minutes and you can roll hard with the rotations. FA Cup quarters away from home against Championship teams are rarely that simple, so I’m preparing for a gritty 2-1 kind of afternoon.

Still, the reward of Wembley is pretty delicious. I’m just very worried that if we do get through, it’ll be Man City AGAIN in a season where seeing less of them is better than seeing more.

How about a little hit of something good?

“I’m completely in awe of Arsenal and what they are doing and what Mikel has built there. The team they have, the personality they have in the group, the way they play this year, I think they’ve been fantastic.”

Thank you, England Assistant, Anthony Barry. What a gentleman.

How about that? Bukayo Saka, working in a factory, pushing his spicy sauce around the world. When I come back to London next month, let it be known Nando’s, that I’ll be stealing one of those bottles from your establishment. I shall not reveal the location, just to keep you guessing.

Arsenal are interested in Christian Kofane. The Bayer Leverkusen striker who did a very good job occupying Saliba and Gabriel in the Champions League. At 19, he’d certainly be a 3rd choice kind of name. His linkage certainly seems to fit the pattern of big strikers, good in and around the box, with immense strength and power. I like those ingredients, though some reports of the fee being £100m are crazy.

Ok, short one today, see you in the comments. Check out the latest podcasts. The early bird members Southampton preview is IN.